Florida communities reeling from damage left by Hurricane Ian
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., joined “Sunday Morning Futures” to discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in the 19th district, which includes Fort Myers and Cape Coral.
“We’re devastated here,” Donalds said. “Fort Myers Beach which is one of the large tourist destinations in the country, has just been obliterated. It looks like they fought a war on Fort Myers Beach.”
Donalds said that while officials have not come up with an estimated cost for the damage, he believes it could come in at over $5 billion.
He credited Gov. Ron DeSantis and his team for working with FEMA and the White House to get resources ready before the storm hit and for the quick response.
Seminole County sheriff’s office says boats are ‘only reliable way’ in or out of some neighborhoods
Deputies in Seminole County, Florida, are using airboats to reach residents that floodwaters have trapped inside their homes and evacuate them to safety, authorities said Saturday.
“Right now what we’re going to focus on for the next couple of days is focusing on getting the people out and that the people are safe,” Lt. Bobby Smith said in a video posted to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office’s social media pages.
The area around Lake Harney was inundated with water after the St. John’s River rose above historic flood levels, officials said. Now, authorities say boats are “the only reliable way” in or out of the hardest-hit neighborhoods.
Some residents who were trying to wait out the storm and flooding from inside their homes are calling deputies for help, the sheriff's office said.
Vik, a Geneva resident, said that he’s never seen flooding like this and now has water inside his house. He recalled waking up around 6:30 a.m. and telling his wife that “we’re in trouble.”
The couple were just some of the residents evacuated on Saturday.
Paramedics and volunteers with a group that rescues people after natural disasters went door to door Saturday on Florida's devastated Pine Island, offering to evacuate residents who spoke of the terror of riding out Hurricane Ian in flooded homes and howling winds.
The largest barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast, Pine Island has been largely cut off from the outside world. Ian heavily damaged the only bridge to the island, leaving it only reachable by boat or air.
For many, the volunteers from the non-profit Medic Corps were the first people they have seen from outside the island in days.
While federal and state officials continue to respond to the damage from Hurricane Ian, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell defended officials in Lee County, Florida, after a New York Times report made it seem that they had failed to properly respond to the storm which ravaged their area.
About 75% of energy customers in Florida have had their power restored since Hurricane Ian first struck the state four days ago, but some customers may have to wait at least another week for power, officials said Sunday morning.